I use Maya and I want to create a hybrido simulation of a river with a boat. I was first planning to make the boat an active rigid body and alter the settings to make the boat go in a direction and float and just act like a boat. (An attractor exclusive to the boat to make it travel in a direction.

But I'm wondering what other people do, do you do that or use another waya in a 3d package to precreate the movements and just import it. Or is it still better to put the time into simulating the rigid body based on water?

Mainly I ask because I don't see how in Maya you'd create realistic enough motions without putting a lot of time into hand animation.